Top 10 Flags that Were Used or Adopted Before 1800

Metal_Treasure
Basically, this list is about the oldest flags and it was supposed to be an objective list.

But I changed my mind because the sources I checked out were giving different flags and dates, and there were too many contradictions. It was impossible to make an "objective" list.

The sources were also using different criteria which resulted in different dates (for example, Year the flag was adopted VS Year the the flag was first used VS Continuously used). Oh, and the sources usually had less than 10 flags on their lists but I can't submit a list here with less than 10 items.

So I did my own research based on information from wiki. I ranked the flags from the oldest to the newest but you can vote for the flag you like, country you like, or whatever you want.

The Top Ten

1Denmark (adopted 1219 or earlier)Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Europe. The southernmost of the Nordic countries, it is south-west of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany.

Denmark flag also holds the Guinness World Record for Oldest continuously used national flag - been continuously used since 1625. - Metal_Treasure

2Austria (first used 1230)Austria was Celtic (Hallstadt) then as Noricum, part of the Roman Empire, Alaric, who took over Rome, studied at a monastery near Vienna. In the Middle Ages, the Holy Roman Emperors moved to Vienna, then Austria became separate. Medieval documents from Eastern Europe as far as West Ukraine were often ...read more.

It was adopted in 1918 - Metal_Treasure

3Latvia (first used 1280)Latvia, officially the Republic of Latvia, is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe, one of the three Baltic states.

It was adopted in 1991 - Metal_Treasure

4Netherlands (first used 1410)

It was adopted in 1572 - it's among the first adopted flags ever, 3rd after Denmark (1219) and Scotland (1542). - Metal_Treasure

5Albania (first used 1443)Albania is a southeastern European country that is slightly larger than Maryland and near Montenegro, Kosovo, Republic of Macedonia, and Greece. The capital is a city called Tirana. Some other major cities in Albania are Durrës, Elbasan, Vlorë, and Shkodër. Albania gained its independence in 1912. ...read more.

This flag design was first used in 1443 but it was adopted in 1912 - Metal_Treasure

6Switzerland (first used 1470)Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a federal republic in Europe. It consists of 26 cantons, and the city of Bern is the seat of the federal authorities. ...read more.

It was adopted in 1889 - Metal_Treasure

7Scotland Saltire (adopted 15th century)Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and covers the northern third of the island of Great Britain.

No longer an independent country but still a classic flag.

The first certain illustration of this flag appeared circa 1542 in Register of Scottish Arms by Sir David Lyndsay of the Mount.Before that the flag appeared with a red background circa 1503 in the Vienna Book of Hours, which is the earliest reference to the Saint Andrew's Cross as a flag. - Metal_Treasure

8Sweden (first used 1562 or earlier)Sweden, officially the Kingdom of Sweden, is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. ...read more.

It was adopted in 1906 when they removed the Union mark of Norway and Sweden - Metal_Treasure

9Russia (first used 1700)Russia, known as the "Russian Federation", was formed on Dec 25, 1991. It is located mainly in Asia, while a portion of it remains in Europe. The capital and largest city is Moscow, followed by Saint Petersburg in terms of population. The country primarily speaks Russian, a Slavic language. ...read more.

It was adopted in 1991, after the collapse of the communist regime and the USSR - Metal_Treasure

10Tonga (first used 1674, as English Red Ensign)Tonga, officially the Kingdom of Tonga, is a Polynesian sovereign state and archipelago comprising 169 islands of which 36 are inhabited.

Tonga adopted it in 1875 and hasn't changed it - Metal_Treasure

The Contenders

11Nepal (1743)Nepal, officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a sovereign state located in South Asia. ...read more.

The current flag design was first used in 1743 and adopted the same year. - Metal_Treasure

12Spain (first used 1785)Spain, officially the Kingdom of Spain, is a sovereign state largely located on the Iberian Peninsula in southwestern Europe, with archipelagos in the Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea, and several small territories on and near the north African coast.

Current flag version was adopted in 1981 but the original version, as naval and coastal fortifications' flag, was adopted in 1785 - Metal_Treasure

13Sicily (first adopted in 1282)

14Morocco (first used 1244)

It was adopted in 1915.I didn't put Morocco higher because the year 1244 is disputed. But Morocco still belongs in this list because from 1795-1915 they used the closest version to their current flag - red background with a green star (only the shape of the star was slightly different: the Seal of Solomon was replaced by a green pentagram). - Metal_Treasure

15Italy (first used 1796, with Napoleon I)Italy, in italian Repubblica Italiana, is a unitary parliamentary republic in Europe. ...read more.

Adopted in 1946 (modified in 2006) - Metal_Treasure

16San Marino (first used 1797)San Marino, officially the Republic of San Marino, also known as the Most Serene Republic of San Marino, is an enclaved microstate surrounded by Italy, situated on the Italian Peninsula on the northeastern side of the Apennine Mountains.

It was adopted in 1862 - Metal_Treasure

17France (first used 1794, naval ensign)France, officially the French Republic, is a sovereign state comprising territory in western Europe and several overseas regions and territories. The European part of France, called metropolitan France, extends from the Mediterranean Sea to the English Channel and the North Sea, and from the Rhine to ...read more.

France adopted it in 1830 and it hasn't been changed since then - Metal_Treasure